Enmity
by annoradaft
Summary: Annora has always lived her life beside her father. Once she leaves for Hogwarts she realizes that friendship is one of the few things she wishes she will always have.
1. Enticing

_**Enticing**_

"When the world turns into spades; all you need is one clover".

This was Bellatrix Lestrange's favourite saying. She always knew that change only began with one action. One person; and that would be her. She had committed the biggest mistake in her life, or so she thought it would be viewed as such. Here she was, with a muggle no less, in the least desirable place for any woman of her standing. She had just arrived in a muggle hospital ready to give birth to her child. The child's father – Walter Hastings – was also eagerly waiting for the process to begin. He knew what Bellatrix was, and what their child was most likely going to be.

_This child would be magical._

Walter of course, had no idea the lengths that Bellatrix would go to obtain what she desired. She did not love Walter in the slightest, and knew she never would reciprocate his feelings. But this child, although an accident, was nevertheless hers. As she pushed this life out of her, she noticed Walter continuously glancing over at her, fearful that she would disappear. He knew what was coming. Bellatrix was never the type to settle down, especially with a muggle. Imagine if anyone close to her ever found out. Then as soon as it began, she had her child in her hands. Crying and bloody, she could not believe she made that. She was almost disgusted but only because she hated all babies in some way.

"What do you want to name her?" asked Walter.

He had a few ideas in mind, but he thought since she would probably never see her child again, she should have that honour. Little did he know Bellatrix did not deserve any honour given to her.

"Annora," she answered. Bellatrix wondered if Narcissa was right. That if having a child could maternalize women. She sincerely hoped it would not for her, because she wanted to get back to her life. She had people to avenge and plans to prepare.

After the baby had been taken care of, Bellatrix immediately put her in the arms of Walter. She did not want this creature getting attached to her when she wanted nothing to do with her.

"I wish you luck." With those words, Bellatrix grabbed her wand and muttered a spell to bring her back to normal. She walked out of the hospital and never searched for either of them again.

10 Years Later

_"Alohomora."_ Annora whispered. She smiled as the door to their room unlocked before her eyes. She loved growing up surrounded by both magic and muggle things. It made her feel as if she could become anyone she wanted in either spectrum of the world.

Her father loved magic just as much as she did and made sure she read up on a lot of different spells and potions that could be made. He bought her several books about magic and important people just to make sure she was ready for Hogwarts when the time came. Walter was happy living a non-magical life and he did not feel like he had to prove himself. Sure he was a wizard, but he didn't use magic much. He had a wonderful job owning his own record stores in the muggle world and had a daughter who shared all of his passions. His brother had been a great wizard but unfortunately died at the mere age of 30 by a muggle car accident. Ever since then Walter had been more involved in the magical world than ever. He now owned a record store in Hogsmeade where he could be close to Annora whenever she was in school. He was a stable father, other than the occasional drunken nights he had, but his life really altered his ability to deal with his emotions. A trait he wished Annora never caught on.

Currently, Walter was intently observing his daughter's abilities; debating whether she needed to learn more to begin the school year. Annora had received her Hogwarts letter a few weeks before her 11th birthday. Walter taught Annora more than she needed to know for her first year because he hoped this would help mould her into a strong person, unlike him. Whenever he thought of himself, he thought of a pushover. He thought he was someone who would let everyone use him as long as it meant he would get a few minutes of happiness. This, of course was not true at all. But sometimes the mind has a funny way of making you see yourself in the worst way possible. Every day is a battle.

Annora was sitting on the floor facing the room door while her father was sitting on his bed evaluating her. Looking around their room was only big enough to fit in two twin beds, separated by two night tables followed by some walking space in the centre surrounded by closet and bathroom doors. The Leaky Cauldron was their permanent home in the wizarding world. They were great friends with the owner so they lived there. It was one of their favourite places to be in.

"Let's go over the list," Walter stopped Annora after the _'Vera verto'_ spell used to transfigure her owl into a small goblet. "Make sure we bought everything."

They had gone to Diagon Alley just the day before and bought all the needed things to begin the year. Her best experience there was visiting Ollivander's to obtain her wand. She had heard wonderful stories about people receiving their wands that she was excited to have a wand chose her. Getting her wand took longer than she expected, but after some destruction had been made to a few lamps and tables, a wand finally saw her worthy of magic. She was chosen by a 14" willow wand with a phoenix feather core. She thought it was beautiful and simple at the same time. It was dark brown with green ivy spiralling from end to end. She now made sure to never, ever be without it.

"We have everything dad, we triple-checked the list yesterday," Annora replied. She knew her dad was just very nervous but she became somewhat annoyed that he always needed some sort of control. He could never let go and take situations as they came. Annora on the other hand, loved waiting for things to happen and never stressed over situations. They were very different in that way, but somehow they balanced each other out.

"I know I know, I'm sorry," Walter paused for a minute before continuing. "This is the first time we will be apart for months in a row so I'm giving you my speech now."

"You have a speech?"

"I guess it's more like fatherly advice so just hear me out until the end," Walter began. "Just – You'll be alone, and I want you to know that if someone tells you to do something that does not feel right to you, don't do it," Walter began fidgeting with his pocketknife thinking of ways to put what he wanted to say next.

"Now that is not an excuse to not do homework or something educational because it does not feel right ok?" he continued, becoming aggravated at the thought that she would need to fend for herself. "And if some stuck up kid insults you, hurts you, or disrespects you in any way, you fight alright? I don't care if I get letters saying you're violent or something. You stand up for yourself; you let all those other kids know that they can't walk over you." he finished hoping she would take his advice.

Annora smiled and looked at the floor. These were the moments she loved most with her dad because he always understood that sometimes doing the right thing means breaking some rules. She knew she was very lucky to have a father who only wanted her to succeed at being the best version of herself. That was all that mattered.

"Thanks dad. I will and I promise to write as much as I can, so you won't even miss me that much." Annora hoped this would make her father feel better; it didn't. Annora looked over at her owl; He was a Scops owl. He was brown and somewhat white spotted which made him camouflage perfectly with any tree. Annora named him Kelso. She had always loved this name since she found it carved into a tree when she went camping with Walter. She assumed that it meant something special, or at least special enough to be carved into a tree.

"Alright off to bed, tomorrow you start a new adventure." Walter said as he walked into the bathroom. They both got ready for bed and although Annora was very excited for Hogwarts, she feared leaving her father alone with no one to control his drinking. Soon enough they both drifted off to sleep waiting for what tomorrow brought to them.


	2. Green Light

_**Green Light**_

This was it. This was the day that Annora would enter something different. She would be alone for the first time, and that terrified her. She was only 11. If something were to happen to her, all she had to defend herself with was a wand. She had requested some other weapon to bring with her but her dad was confident that Dumbledore would never allow it. And that man knew everything that went on in Hogwarts.

She was currently already packed, and wearing her Hogwarts robes. She thought about changing on the train, but she didn't want to stand out in any way, so she would stay in her compartment the entire ride. Kelso was securely in his cage hooting at anything that moved. Annora hated having him locked in the cage but she kept reassuring herself it was the safest thing to do. Dragging her trunks behind her, she made her way to the lobby of the Leaky Cauldron where her dad was talking with Stan, the owner, and waiting to bring her to the train station.

"There she is!" Stan loudly declared as she walked over to meet them. "How do you feel? Are you ready to begin Hogwarts?" he asked anxiously. He had always been very great friends with Annora and Walter and they loved his company. She would miss him gravely.

"I am! I feel good. A little nervous, but overall I'm pretty good, thanks." Annora answered excitedly.

"Great, let me get your trunks, you take Kelso's cage and I'll meet you outside to walk to King's Cross." Walter said. He hugged Stan, grabbed her trunks, and walked outside.

"Stan, please take care of him. Don't let him drink too much, okay? If anything happens, write to me. Write to me for anything at all." Annora said.

"You got it kid. Have fun, but don't get into trouble. You're going to be great!" Stan exclaimed. He then hugged Annora goodbye as she made her way outside to meet her dad.

Annora and Walter both silently made their way to King's Cross and stood in front of the 9 ¾ barrier. Annora nervously looked at her smiling father and grabbed his hand. On the count of three they both ran towards the barrier and appeared on the other side. There, in all its glory, was the huge train on its way to Hogwarts.

"This is incredible!" Annora exclaimed. She could not believe she was finally where she always wanted to be. She was brought up hearing that people rarely got what they wanted, but right now all she could focus on was how great the world was being to her now.

"Man, did I miss this." Walter whispered to himself internally remembering all of the times he had to enter this train. "Alright, let's load your luggage. There are still 20 minutes before the train needs to leave." Walter helped Annora load all of her items including Kelso into the train before wrapping her in his arms tightly. He was going to miss her dearly.

"Good bye dad. I'll write to you and I'll be back for the Christmas holidays alright?" Annora reassured her father after their hug ended.

"Okay, but if you make friends and want to spend the holidays with them, I want you to tell me and don't feel bad. I want you to have friends you can trust in there." Walter knew that Hogwarts would become Annora's second home. And every home needs friends to make things a little easier.

"Thanks dad." With one last hug, Annora boarded the train and quickly ran into the first empty compartment she saw. There was plenty of time before the train left, so Annora spent some time looking out the window at her father and the families surrounding him.

Annora suddenly heard the compartment door open and there stood a girl with frizzy hair, accompanied with a boy with a round face both wearing their Hogwarts robes.

"Hello, do you mind if we sit here? All other compartments have filled up." The girl with frizzy hair said while the boy with round face kept looking down the entire time.

"I don't mind at all." Annora said hoping these two people would become the friends her father wanted her to have. She really wanted to have friends too, but she just couldn't imagine leaving her dad to take care of himself, now Hogwarts being the place she would be staying at, she could make friends and spend time with them there.

"I am Hermione Granger, pleasure to meet you." Hermione said, shaking Annora's hand before sitting in across from her.

"I'm N-Neville." Neville said sitting beside Hermione. He looked so vulnerable, and sad. Annora wondered what happened to make an 11-year old that sad, but knowing her own life she understood that sometimes bad things just happen.

"It's nice to meet both of you. I'm Annora Hastings." As Annora introduced herself, the train began to move.

As the train began towards Hogwarts, the three newly introduced friends began discussing the sorting, classes, and everything they guessed was to happen.

"Have either of you performed successful spells? I have, but I feel like I need to learn more." Hermione said as she began to study her wand.

"I'm not too good with spells yet. I haven't practised much; I can't even picture Trevor as a goblet!" Neville said looking around for his pet toad.

"Where's Trevor? I've lost Trevor!" By now Neville was up and frantically searching every inch of the compartment.

"Don't worry Neville, we can search for him. We'll search the entire train." Annora reassured him and looked towards Hermione hoping she would help search too.

"Of course, we will. He's going to be found." Hermione stated with a look in her eyes that suggested determination.

Annora smiled towards Hermione thinking how great as a friend she would be. She was clearly bright, nice, and although sometimes over-bearing, she was very helpful. She hoped Hermione liked her enough to be friends with her.

The three of them split up and began searching for Trevor. Annora had the near end of the train, while Neville searched the middle and Hermione had the front. Annora was terrified that she would need to strike conversations with different people, but she needed to help Neville. She decided she would begin at the very end and work her way to the middle where Neville was.

As she approached the last compartment, she became very nervous. The compartment door was already open and the kids inside didn't look very welcoming. She froze for a bit, but decided to ask them anyway.

"Excuse me, have any of you seen a toad? My friend has lost one and I'm trying to find it." Annora quietly said once she looked inside the compartment. Once she said that all eyes were on her and she began to freeze. She wasn't used to this many people being aware of what she was doing all at the same time.

"No, we haven't seen a toad." A very blonde boy said harshly as he stood and slammed the compartment door in Annora's face.

Annora debated knocking on the door and asking again, but decided not to. They seemed unwelcoming and she wasn't going to push her luck. She then went to the other compartments and found that no one had seen Neville's toad. She was close to giving up and apologising to Neville but by now she only had one compartment left.

As she approached the last compartment in her section she had a little more confidence, especially after what she thought was a terrifying experience. She knocked on the compartment door and opened it after hearing a loud "come in" by someone inside.

She looked inside and thought that everyone looked very friendly as they all smiled at her. They looked to be a little older but didn't seem threatening.

"Hello, have any of you seen a toad? My friend Neville has lost his." She said and hoped that some progress would be made.

"Sorry love, no toad, but keep looking, I'm sure you'll find it." A boy with orange-red hair said. Sitting beside him, near the window, was another boy that looked exactly like him. Annora had never seen twins before, so this was an experience she would always remember. Across from them was another boy who had dark skin and dreadlocks.

"Don't enter the last compartment though; it's filled with Slytherins. Not the friendliest folk." The boy with dreadlocks said.

"Oh, I've already checked there, wish I hadn't." Annora added.

"What did they do?" The twin near the window said with a hint of anger, speaking for the first time.

"Nothing, just slammed the door in my face. I won't be speaking to them anytime soon." Annora stated looking down wondering why they had been so mean to her. She had not even met them and they barely spoke to her.

"That's a good call. I'm George Weasley, this here is Fred, and that's Lee Jordan." The twin near the window said pointing to the corresponding people. Looking at all three of them Annora wished they would become her friends too.

"I'm Annora, this is my first year. It's nice to meet you." She said smiling at them.

"Ah, we're in our third year. What house do you hope to get?" Lee asked patting the seat beside him as Annora sat down beside him.

"I hope to get into Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff. I think I would be good in those houses, although I don't think I'm brave. What houses are all of you in?" Annora questioned noticing they were not in their uniforms, so she couldn't tell.

"We're all in Gryffindor. Best house there is if you ask our opinion." Fred said smiling and puffing out his chest as if he was proud, while George and Lee just laughed. Annora smiled and decided that she would get into Gryffindor no matter what. She always thought she wasn't brave, but maybe the sorting hat would see something hidden inside of her that could guide her into Gryffindor.

As she began to respond, Hermione appeared at the door with a look of defeat upon her face. Annora guessed that she and Neville made no progress on finding Trevor either.

"Annora, any luck?" Hermione asked while politely smiling at Fred, George, and Lee.

"No, no one has seen a toad at all." Annora replied.

"I figured, we haven't had much luck either. We're switching parts. Would you search the front of the train when you have time?" Hermione asked getting ready to leave to her designated searching area.

"Of course, I'll go now. Thanks." Annora stated. Once Hermione left, Annora stood up and made her way to the compartment door before turning around for a goodbye.

Annora waved to the three boys and with after a few goodbyes, she was on her way to the front of the train. She started thinking about all the friends she could have here, when she realized what George had said. He said that **IF** she got into Gryffindor they would help her around. She started wondering what would happen with them is she didn't get into Gryffindor. She would barely see them, and that meant she would need to make friends all over again with different people.

Her mind snapped back into reality when she reached the compartments she would need to ask. She began with the typical questions such as "Have any of you seen a toad around?" or "Have you still not seen a toad around?" which were all met with absolutely no progress. When Annora reached the last compartment she would need to check she saw something incredible. She saw Harry Potter; the boy her father had told her about, and she also saw another boy resembling features of Fred and George. She immediately entered the compartment, her fear of new people being replaced by excitement. She couldn't wait to write to her father about meeting Harry Potter. That excitement however, ended as soon as she has 2 pair of eyes staring back at her.

"Hi, I'm just checking again, have either of you seen any sign of a toad?" Annora said a bit quicker than normal.

"Sorry, still nothing." Harry Potter said while looking empathetic.

"Are you helping that Hermione? She asked us before, a bit much isn't she?" The boy resembling the twins said while chewing on some chocolate frogs.

"Yes, I am. She's just very clever, but she's nice. I'm Annora Hastings." Annora said waving her hand slightly and looking around the compartment.

"I'm Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you." Harry said as he smiled.

"Ron Weasley." Ron said as his still ate.

"Oh, do you have twin brothers? Fred and George?" Annora asked; excited that there would be more people like the twins. She really got good vibes from them.

"What prank did they do now?" Ron asked rolling his eyes.

"Nothing, they were very nice to me, they make me want to get into Gryffindor." Annora replied, smiling as she remembered how great they were.

While Annora spoke, Ron had a very confused look on his face, and Harry seemed very amused after Ron had filled him in on a lot of pranks his brothers had done to innocent bystanders. "Wrong place, wrong time," Ron said.

As they continued to speak about Hogwarts and where they came from, the train stopped and people began to get off. Annora followed Harry and Ron and soon came across Hermione and Neville, who were still upset they hadn't found Trevor. They were looking around when they all heard a booming voice calling for all first years. That voice came from a giant who seemed to be friendly after he greeted Harry as they were friends. Annora learned his name was Hagrid and he appeared to be someone she could get along with. Annora then was led to one of the boats with Ron, Harry, Neville, and Hermione. Annora couldn't believe how beautiful all of this scenery was. In her 11 years of being alive, she had never seen many beautiful landscapes, so seeing the castle through the fog, on a boat on the lake was a monumental experience for her. One she would never forget.


	3. Lights Flicker

_**Lights Flicker**_

Getting off of the boat and walking up to the castle, Annora was very afraid. She kept thinking about what would happen if she got into Slytherin or if somehow she didn't belong in any of the houses and wouldn't be allowed to study there. Of course she was being ridiculous, but being put on the spot brings out some pretty bad insecurities. Deep down she knew that if she didn't get into the socially acceptable houses or was somehow banned, the people she cared about would still love and support her. She knew she always had that to fall back on. That's what always allowed her to let go. Once she entered the castle doors, she was really experiencing everything around and not worrying about the short term future, and she loved it.

She began to hear all the mutters of students around her, when suddenly everyone was stopped by a tall professor in full robes. She had a defined face and a very pointy hat. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and the head of Gryffindor house. She began to tell the students about the house cup, points, the four houses and their sense of family which was something that Annora needed while being here. What shocked Annora was what came next. Trevor showed up in front of McGonagall and caused everyone to stop and look at him. Hermione and Annora shared a smile while Neville ran to retrieve him. They both thought Trevor surely would never be found, but here he was. Annora felt it was amazing how such a small frog could make his own way to the castle in the midst of all these students and staff. This was one of those moments where Annora felt anything could happen. And she was glad this wonderful thing was happening to Neville.

Professor McGonagall then left to make sure everything was ready, and Annora and Hermione instantly began talking about what would happen in the sorting. All conversations were hastily interrupted by a platinum haired boy pushing his way towards Harry. Annora recognized him as the same boy who shut the door on her face in the train. Annora didn't even want to listen to what he would say but Harry was now her friend and if the platinum haired boy was going to say something mean, she wanted to make sure he didn't get away with it.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." The platinum haired boy said while two other mean looking boys stood behind him.

As soon as he said Harry's name, a lot of whispers broke out and many students started wondering if he was really there, and most of them acted as if Harry was some sort of legendary saviour.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," the boy said referring to the mean looking students behind him, "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." 

At this point Ron was unsuccessfully holding back laughter which Draco noticed. He turned to Ron and began to look him up and down. Annora was very afraid of Draco because she really didn't know what he was capable of. To her it seemed he would be able to do cruel things and not have a single empathetic feeling towards anything. People like that terrified her especially because of what she knew about her own mother. Turning into that was something she always feared.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley." Draco said glaring at Ron.

"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco said turning to face Harry and held out his hand for Harry to shake.  
>At this point, Annora began to slightly walk towards Draco and began to open her mouth to speak, but Harry stopped her by pulling her arm back.<p>

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks." Harry said and refused to shake Draco's hand. Ron seemed to be very proud of what Harry did and they were both glaring at Draco when McGonagall re-entered the room.

All of the students begin to enter the Great Hall and Annora was amazed and terrified. The Great Hall was spectacular. The ceiling was enchanted to appear as the night sky, and candles were floating, it was very special. Hermione and Neville were just as excited as Annora was and began discussing how the enchantments worked. Annora was terrified because all of the other students in higher years were just looking at them. Analyzing them, seeing their weaknesses and she didn't know where she stood anymore. No one likes being on the spot to be silently or openly judged by anyone, and she felt very uncomfortable, but it wasn't something she was going to show. So she stood by Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville walking through the room, but she felt even better when Fred, George and Lee spotted her and frantically started waving at her for her attention. She felt like she could have fun and find people that would protect her if anything happened.

When they all settled down, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up to say a few words:  
>"I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to all who do not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you." With that he sat down ready to see the sorting.<p>

Annora couldn't forget that last part he said. She kept thinking about the third floor corridor and what could be in there that was so dangerous. Of course being inside a magical castle, she remembered that any deathly being could be in there. She wasn't one to put herself in dangerous situations with no safe way out, but she was also extremely curious. She wasn't going to let the third floor corridor go without knowing what was in there.  
>Annora brought her attention back to the front where the sorting was starting and Professor McGonagall was going to call the first name.<p>

"Hermione Granger!" McGonagall called out waiting for Hermione to walk up.

Annora looked to Hermione who seemed very nervous and gave her a smile that Hermione returned. She walked up to the stool talking  
>herself out of her fear which Annora thought was very Hermione.<br>Hermione sat on the stool as McGonagall put an old pointed hat that began to speak.

"Ah, right then. Hum… Right. Okay, GRYFFINDOR!" The hat screamed the house Hermione would be put in while whispering the rest.

Hermione smiled and after her robes had been changed, she joined the clapping and cheering Gryffindor's at their table. Annora felt very proud of Hermione. She seemed like the perfect Gryffindor and knew how much she wanted to be in that house. Whoever her parents were, she would make them proud.

"Draco Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall called out next. Draco sat on the stool and the hat barely touched his head before shouting  
>"SLYTHERIN!"<br>Annora cringed watching Draco smile and walk to the Slytherin table who were very happy to have him.

"There's no witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin." Ron said to Harry and Annora.  
>At that point Annora made a mental note to steer clear of all Slytherins. They were not people she would seem to get along with and she wasn't one to cause trouble much.<p>

"Susan Bones!" McGonagall called next. Susan began to walk up to the stool when Harry began to shift uncomfortably.

"Ow!" Harry said while holding his forehead and staring at two teachers talking.

"Harry what is it?" Annora asked worried.

"Nothing. Nothing, I'm fine." Harry smiled at Annora and continued to watch the sorting.

Annora knew something was wrong, but she wasn't really good friends with Harry yet, so she figured he must not trust her enough yet. She knew how hard trust could be to give to strangers not long after they met. She only hoped they could become closer friends as time passed.

"…where shall I put you? Let's see... I know! GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat said. Neville happily made his way to the Gryffindor table.  
>Annora had just missed Neville's sorting but she was very happy that he was in that house, because she hoped she would be in there too.<p>

"Ronald Weasley!" McGonagall called. Ron walked up to the stool very nervously and McGonagall placed the hat on his head.

"Ha! Another Weasley! I know just what to do with you… GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled.

Annora and Harry smile and clap while the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. Ron sighed with relief and ran to the Gryffindor table to sit with Hermione and his brothers.

Annora was fidgeting with her robes when she heard her name. Her head snapped up and she looked towards Harry who smiled and nudged her up there. She squeezed through the crowd and sat up on the stool. She looked at all the houses feeling everyone's stares pierce into her skin making her feel like she was on fire. She was never good at being in front of people, but this was on another level. She could barely hear what the hat was saying; she just kept looking at her hand on her lap.

"….I think I know where you belong….. GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled. These were the only words Annora could hear.  
>Annora felt so much weight lift off her shoulders; she couldn't believe she actually made it. She smiled as wide as ever, stood up and sped-walked to the Gryffindor table. She sat beside Hermione and began to breathe happy to be out of everyone's view. Once everyone got settled, a name was heard that made everyone bring their attention to the front of the room.<p>

"Harry Potter!" McGonagall called and that's when it happened. Everything almost stopped for a while.  
>All students started looking around, whispering to each other and it felt as if nobody was breathing. There was just nothing. And that only lasted about 5 seconds. As soon as Harry sat on that stool, things became very nerve-wrecking. Of course, anyone who would spend even a few minutes talking to Harry knew that he would be in Gryffindor. But magic is not something you can always predict.<br>Annora began to fidget with her robes again and couldn't even look at Harry while his fate was being determined. So Instead she looked down the Gryffindor table while listening to the hat mumble words that she could not make out.

Most kids in the Gryffindor table looked eager; waiting for Harry to be placed in our new home, and others just stared in awe of the scene in front of them.  
>Annora snuck a look at Harry, and he did not look calm. He looked extremely panicked and kept repeating what appeared to be the same words over and over again.<p>

"…GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled.  
>Harry walked to Gryffindor as the entire table stood and cheered as they had just gained a legend into their lives.<br>Minutes into the Harry celebration Dumbledore stood up, opened his arms at all of the students and began to speak.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down.

Walter had told Annora all about Dumbledore's 'odd behaviour', but Annora did not think it was odd at all. She thought Dumbledore was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone at all. She also thought Dumbledore was oozing with creativity and had a unique aura. She wondered how lucky his friends were to have him in their school days. He seemed like he would always persuade people to do the right thing no matter the difficulty and Annora felt that was a great quality to be around. Everyone needs people who will tell the painful truth for the right decisions to be made.

Once the tables had been filled with various types of foods, Annora began taking small portions of her favourite things to her plate. She knew she wouldn't finish everything since she absolutely hated eating in front of people, but she also hated being questioned on her eating habits which happened a lot when she was younger. This was one of things she struggled with but never understood why people she barely knew had to make it their problem to try and fix.

"What do you think the Professors will be like Annora?" Hermione asked her once she began eating.

"I'm not exactly sure. Many things have changed since my dad studied here; some of his experiences may be outdated."

"It's the same for me. Well, the stories were not from my parents with them being non-magical." Hermione said.  
>Annora thought Hermione seemed a little sad that she did not come from a magical family, but Annora thought it was all the same. Hermione was in two different worlds and would be able to experience what other kids could only dream of. One thing she feared for Hermione was the names that some of the Slytherin would call her for being muggle-born, but she decided early on that she would protect Hermione at all costs. She would not let anyone bring Hermione down, because she knew what that felt like, and it was a horrifying feeling.<p>

"Having non-magical parents is just as great as having magical ones. Don't let anyone tell you any different." Annora said reassuringly.  
>Hermione smiled at Annora and thanked her for not worrying about blood status like some other people did. While the girls continued to eat Hermione caught a glimpse of something moving out of the corner of her eye. She taps Annora on the shoulder and points in front of them revealing a ghost floating near Harry watching him cut his steak.<p>

"That does look good," said the ghost sadly to Harry, not taking his stare from the food,

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it.

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Hermione asked.

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.  
>"Like this," he said. He grabbed his right hear and pulled. His head fell off and hung on a thread. Seeing the students terrified faces, he relocated his head and merely floated off.<p>

While the students resumed eating everyone began their own conversations about their families in groups. While Seamus was talking  
>about his dad being a muggle, Hermione began talking about her family towards Annora.<p>

"Both of my parents are dentists, which not a lot of people look forward to." Hermione laughed. She seemed to love to talk about herself, but when it came to her parents she would only mention they were dentists. Annora found it strange but figured she would understand things better once they became closer friends.

"What about you? Tell me about your family." Hermione asked Annora.

"There's not much to tell, it's just me and my dad. He owns a few records stores in the muggle world." Annora concluded. She hoped she said that in a way that would prevent Hermione from asking any more questions. Annora did not really like to talk about her family. She just had this nature of listening to others instead of talking. She knew this type of behaviour was almost unhealthy because bottling up too much never ends well, but she did not know how to break this habit.  
>While Hermione and Annora continued to talk about classes they heard a faint 'Ouch!' from Harry and saw him clutching his hand to his forehead again.<p>

"What is it?" asked Annora.

"N-Nothing."

Annora did not push any harder because she figured it was just a headache. She would often get headaches and dizziness so she understood what that brought on.

While the last of the desserts disappeared, Professor Dumbledore stood again and everyone began to listen.  
>"Now that we are all fed and watered, I have a few more notices to give you. I have been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. And finally anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."<p>

Walter had told Annora about Quidditch and secretly hoped she would develop a love for it, but she really was not a huge sport person. She would prefer to sit in a tree instead of running around and exercise. Besides, she always got dizzy easily so moving in the air on a broom for sport was not something she would ever be interested in.

"And now, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, and twisted itself into words.  
>"Everyone pick your favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"<br>And the school began to sing:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
>Teach us something please,<br>Whether we be old and bald  
>Or young with scabby knees,<br>Our heads could do with filling  
>With some interesting stuff,<br>For now they're bare and full of air,  
>Dead flies and bits of fluff,<br>So teach us things worth knowing,  
>Bring back what we've forgot,<br>just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
>And learn until our brains all rot.<p>

Everyone finished at different times, but when the last few people finished singing Dumbledore wrapped the conducting up and smiled at all the students.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Percy led the Gryffindor first years through the large crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the main staircase.  
>They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, when they came to a sudden halt.<br>A bundle of unlit candle sticks were floating in midair ahead of them, and when Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself."  
>A loud sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.<p>

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" Percy asked in hopes to get Peeves to stop.  
>There was a loud pop, and a little man with dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, holding the candle sticks.<br>He swerved suddenly at them and they all ducked.

"Go away Peeves, or the Baron will hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.  
>Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head.<p>

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again.

"The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him." He continued once they reached a portrait of a large woman dressed in what Annora guessed was Victorian fashion.

Annora made sure to remember that the Bloody Baron can control Peeves. She figured she would run into him again and not knowing how to fight him, she needed some leverage. She decided that even a threat of getting the Baron could be enough to get him to not bother her.

"Password?" the woman in the portrait said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all went through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase they found their beds: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains and their trunks had already been brought up. All of the girls seemed too tired to talk, so they all changed into their pyjamas and fell asleep. Before falling asleep Annora began replaying the entire day through her mind. She could not believe that day she just had. First finding out that she was magical was one of the happiest moments for Annora. When she was about 9 years old, random objects began to levitate whenever she was near. Right then she knew she was special and she became fascinated by her abilities. Today was one of the second happiest moments for her. Everything so far fell exactly how she wanted it to. She got into Gryffindor, made new hopeful friends, and felt really good about herself. At the end of the day, feeling good about yourself is all that matters.


	4. Overshadowing

They next day Hermione had woken up Annora bright and early for classes. She didn't mind at all because back home she was always the first one up to practise her magic and read more about the wizarding world. Annora was probably more nervous than Hermione, but definitely less nervous than Neville who kept stuttering while talking about the expectations of classes during breakfast in the Great Hall. They were all looking over their schedules and trying to figure out where all of the classes were located at. Annora was very pleased to find out that they all had their classes together, so no matter how nervous she got, she knew all of her new friends would be right there with her. One thing that kept on worrying Annora more than classes was not being able to write to her father or Stan yet. She didn't even know where the owlery was yet and she was desperately wondering how her father was without her. Fortunately she overheard some of the other students talking about it and found out that owls delivered letters when they had one to deliver. She felt pretty bad she that didn't figure out that on her own, but new she knew that when her father and Stan wrote to her she could reply on the spot.

Getting to class was an experience on its own. While Hermione, Annora and Neville walked to class together, they encountered many obstacles in their way. One of the most terrifying things was the staircases. There were about more than a hundred staircases and they moved at the most inconvenient times. Sometimes they even separated in the middle and students needed to be careful not to fall off. With that first experience Annora began to think Hogwarts was more dangerous than she ever thought it could be. Of course, she wouldn't give up learning magic because of a little danger. She thought if anything, this only made her stronger and always kept her on her toes. Another obstacle the three of the students faced was the magical doors. Some doors were not even doors, but just walls. Annora wondered why they were there in the first place if nothing was inside, but maybe they changed too.

Fortunately for Annora, Neville, and Hermione they did not encounter Filch but heard some chilling stories about him and his cat Mrs. Norris. From what they heard Filch was extremely strict and loved to punish the students for every wrong-doing and wherever Mrs. Norris was, Filch was not far behind. Peeves the poltergeist on the other hand was someone they almost did encounter. Hermione, Neville, and Annora were heading in the right direction when they ran into Peeves. Luckily he was too busy messing with some of the other students and they were able to sneak past him and run to their class. Annora liked to call it a 'Distraction Sacrifice'. Basically students were to be metaphorically sacrificed by being used to distract so others could get away. She hoped it would catch on, but it never did.

Classes were one of the best parts of being at Hogwarts for Annora. There were specific classes that every first year was required to take. Herbology, Potions, and Defence against the Dark Arts were the most interesting to Annora. She was always fascinated by nature and being outside. She loved making potions not only because she could create some helpful remedies, but mostly because she could create some heavy poisons if she wanted to. Annora was always drawn to the dark side of magic, but she never let herself get carried away. Even though she hated to hear it, her father made sure to always tell her to control her fascination with dark magic. So whenever she felt too wrapped up in dark aspects she turned to nature; which is why she loved Herbology. She loved taking care of plants and learning about them. They made her feel peaceful and calm. Defence against the Dark Arts was a different story. She loved the title of the class and what they would learn but she was severely disappointed when she actually took the class. While the topics that Professor Quirrell taught were very interesting, he didn't make the class very hands on and that was what Annora was looking forward to.

Then there were the boring classes that Annora didn't know how she would get through. History of magic was probably the worst one because it was just history and no interactive spells or enchantments to do. Transfiguration and Charms were alright, but they weren't very interesting to Annora. Sure she appreciated being able to levitate objects, but she found being able to hex people or paralyse them way more interesting. Astronomy was the only class that she would find interesting if it wasn't in the middle of the night. She had no idea how she would be able to pull that off and still be able to wake up in time for classes the next day.

After the first few days of classes Annora really appreciated her father teaching her things before she got to Hogwarts and she made a mental note to include that in her letter. Before she knew it, Friday had come around and all the students were currently having breakfast again in the Great Hall.

"W-what do you think P-p-professor Snape is going to do to us today?" Neville stuttered.

"I'm not sure, but I know it can't be good; especially because we will be with Slytherins." Annora answered. This was probably the most afraid she had been to go to a class. She heard plenty of stories about how Snape hated Gryffindors and always favoured Slytherins. She knew this would be one teacher she would not get along with and that would be new for her.

"I'm sure if we just do our work perfectly there will be no way he could deduct points or be upset." Hermione suggested. That was her answer for everything and even though it worked for a lot of teachers, there are a few that are just biased and there's nothing the students can do.

Before they could continue the hall was filled with about a hundred owls searching for their owners. Annora stared up at them hoping to see Kelso with a few letters for her. It had been about five days and neither Stan nor her father had written to her yet. Just then Kelso swopped down and landed right in front of her after dropping two letters for her. She began to pet him and promised him that she would find him some earthworms for later. She opened the first letter and it read:

_Hey Annora, _

_How's Hogwarts? Get into trouble with those staircases yet? What house are you in? Your father's doing pretty well. It's not the same without you for sure. Oh, I met someone new yesterday. Her name is Sarah and she's a muggle but I get a good vibe from her. If anything you taught me that, but I'll tell you more whenever you come back. Tell me everything about what's going on over there. Miss ya kid. _

_Love, Stan._

Annora smiled at Stan's letter. She loved how he always made sure to let her know her opinions and thoughts had value and he appreciated them. She turned the parchment over and wrote:

_Hey Stan! _

_Hogwarts is wonderful, and yes, those staircases destroyed me a few times. They are a little scary but a good adventure if you're up for it. I got into Gryffindor, but I'm sure you're not surprised. I'm glad dad is doing well; I miss both of you like mad. Sarah is a pretty name, what is she like? That's great, as long as you get a good vibe then that's all that matters. Your judgement is brilliant. I'm definitely coming home for the Christmas holidays because I don't think I could live without seeing you for the entire year. Oh and I've already made friends! They seem like really great people, and I'll tell you all about them in my next letter. Again, I miss you lots. _

_Love you tons, _

_Annora. _

Kelso was now playing with Ron's owl Errol until she finished responding. Annora could also see that a lot of the other students in the Great Hall were scribbling words onto parchment to send with their owls. She rolled the letter up and began reading the one from her father.

_Hey Ann,_

_How's that school treating you? What house is the lucky one that gets to have you? I imagine you're busy with all those classes, but I'm here to remind you to have some fun. Always remember it's the experiences you have that matter most, not grades. Although you should get good grades, but you already know that. Did you make any friends? I bet you did with that personality you have. You get that from me, you know? Did Stan tell you he met someone? Her name's Sarah. She seems pretty nice, but you're the best at reading people in this family. I think you'll like her though. I miss you tons kid, can't wait to hear from you._

_Love you and miss you so much, Dad._

Annora again flipped the parchment over and began to write:

_Hey Dad!_

_School's going pretty well. I am in Gryffindor now! I'm very excited; everyone in this house is friendly and fun. Classes are intense but they come pretty easy since I've already practised a lot of it thanks to you. I mean that. If you had not taught me a lot of the material I think I would have a lot of difficulty getting through these lessons. Today is the first time I'll be having potions! I'll let you know how that goes later. No fun experiences have happened yet, but I promise if they ever come up I'll take them. I'm looking forward to that the most. I did make friends. They're all brilliant and I'm sure you and Stan will get to meet them. Yes, he did tell me about Sarah. What is she like, dad? From his letter she seems great, but you're right, I guess I'll have to meet her. I'll be coming home for the Christmas holidays. I miss you and Stan tons and really just want to see you. How are you doing? Tell me everything!_

_Love you and miss you too,_

_Annora. _

Annora finally rolled up the final letter and gave them both to Kelso who was now sitting on her shoulder. Kelso took the letters under his little feet and began flying off to deliver them. Soon Hermione, Neville, and Annora all walked to Potions class together while Harry and Ron finished eating.

Potions took place in one of the dungeons which Annora personally loved. She loved how cold it got the deeper you walked in. She loved how dark it was and she absolutely loved all the rats walking around. At the Leaky Cauldron she would always take care of the rats she found running around looking for food. Walter tried to get her to stop, but once she put her mind to things it was hard to derail her path. Once everyone was there they all entered and sat down. All five students sat in the same row, began pulling their materials out and ignoring Malfoy's dirty looks and whispers.

Professor Snape made quite an entrance for the first class. He threw the door open, slammed it shut, and closed all of the blinds making the entire room even more dark and eerie. He looked at all the students with such disgust; Annora wondered why he was even a teacher. She didn't get a good feeling from him at all. Every time she saw him stalking the halls, she felt like she was getting detention. Once Snape began taking attendance she felt a little more camouflaged within the class but that ended when she heard her name being called. She always felt put on the spot during attendance and hated when people looked at her wondering what she would say or do. She simply said "present", raised her hand for second, and when Snape barely looked at her and moved on to the next name, Annora felt like all the pressure in the world had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Just then Professor Snape paused before finishing attendance and looked at Harry.

"Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new….celebrity." He said slowly and pronouncing every word articulately.

He then finished taking attendance and began talking, standing still behind his desk.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Professor Snape stopped talking and had his glare fixed on the only person he really seemed to already hate; Harry Potter.

Annora looked around the classroom and while most students seemed scared or confused, Harry was just writing something on parchment paper.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked stumped while Hermione and Annora's hands shot up in the air.

"I don't know sir." said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Annora and Hermione's hands.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

At this time Annora put down her hand. She still knew the answer, but she realized that this was a war between Harry and Snape and it was one she did not want to be involved in. Hermione still had her hand in the air and kept stretching it as high as she could without leaving her seat.

"I don't know, sir." Harry said again.

At this point, Annora thought that no matter how much she loved potion-making, she would absolutely hate it if Snape kept teaching it. She hated his constant bullying and need to make students feel inferior to him. One of the few things Annora desperately hated was abuse of power and she felt Snape was the best at doing that.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked Harry.

At this, Hermione stood up with her hand still in the air.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed but then stopped. Snape had an act for making people regret their actions, no matter how right they were to make them.

"Sit down!" Snape growled at Hermione and made Annora flinch.

"For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

All students were all writing and scribbling on their parchments as fast as they could. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

Professor Snape then put the class into pairs and had them mix a simple potion to cure boils. He kept striding around the entire classroom, criticizing everyone except Malfoy which was obvious. Good thing for Annora, Snape couldn't exactly criticize her because she was doing things right, but that didn't stop her from clamming up whenever Snape stood behind her watching what she put into her cauldron. Her hands would start shaking and her breathing would become unsteady until Snape moved on to the next person. The worst thing then happened. Neville had melted Seamus's cauldron and their potion was all over the floor burning through people's shoes. Luckily for Seamus, he was on the other side of the room getting more ingredients, so he was spared. Everyone in class was now up on stools while Neville was moaning in pain from the red boils all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the potion with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as more boils appeared on him.

"Take him up to the hospital wing." Snape spat at Annora who was right beside Neville.

She immediately helped him up and they began walking to the hospital wing. Annora was going to begin talking to Neville, but seeing his state she decided not to. Once they arrived Madam Pomfrey began caring for him and said he would be ok and free to leave in an hour or so. Annora then told Neville she would go retrieve her books from the dungeons and she would be right back. Neville stuttered a very quiet 'thanks Annora' and she went on her way.

She was a little frightened to go into the dungeons by herself, but only because she could run into some Slytherins and she had no idea how they would treat her. Luckily she practically ran to Potions and didn't see anyone on the way there. She reached the door, knocked three times and when she heard a clear 'enter' from Snape, she opened the door and walked in.

Professor Snape was sitting at his desk grading some papers from his older classes and didn't even bother to look up at Annora.

"Miss Hastings, I assume Mr. Longbottom has reached the Hospital wing safely in one piece?" Snape asked sarcastically.

"Yes Professor, he's going to be fine. I'm just here to retrieve my things." Annora replied grabbing her bag and hoping to get out of there as soon as possible.

"I noticed you have a few books on dark magic." Snape said before she could even reach the door and was now looking straight into her eyes.

"You went through my bag?" Annora asked. She couldn't believe a professor would do that. That was a total invasion of her privacy and she couldn't understand why he would even want to do that.

"You should be very careful." Snape said softly and hauntingly. "Dark magic is nothing to take lightly. One wrong move and you will never get out."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Annora felt a little offended that Snape didn't think she could control her interests. She thought she was strong, and besides, she never let herself get too caught up in the dark side.

"I have no reason. It's just a piece of advice. Do what you want with it." Snape replied cold and distant. He looked at Annora one last time and went back to grading papers like nothing happened.

Annora said nothing else and left the classroom. She didn't understand why such an awful man would decide to give advice to anyone. She started thinking that maybe Snape had some run-ins with dark magic but she really didn't want to get into his history just yet. Once she got back to the Hospital Wing, Neville's boils were already pretty much gone.

"Hey Annora, you just missed Hermione. She said she wanted to work on the Potions essay with you." Neville said.

"Ok, thanks Neville. I'll find her later. How are you feeling?" Annora asked.

"Better. Thanks for staying with me. Just a while longer and I can leave!" Neville said excitedly.

They continued talking about how terribly Potions class went, when about half an hour later all of Neville's boils were completely gone. They were both astonished by how fast they disappeared but Madam Pomfrey assured them that Neville would be perfectly fine. Annora then walked Neville to the common room and told him to rest while she went to the library.

On her way there she ran into Professor Quirrell who seemed to be talking to himself. Annora thought he was a bit odd, but she found him harmless. Some of the things Quirrell did, Annora would find herself doing them too, so she was not one to judge anyone.

"Are you alright Professor?" Annora asked Quirrell who was shaking uncontrollably.

"Y-yes, I'm q-q-quite allr-r-right." Quirrell stuttered and began walking away whispering angrily.

Annora probably should've been a little worried at what had just happened, but she was pretty excited to just sit down and learn more about magic, that she didn't even give Quirrell a second thought. Since it was about 4:30pm, the library was very empty. She quickly found an empty table away from everyone in there and pulled out a dark potions book and began reading about the Drink of Despair.

That was probably one of her favourite dangerous potions because it induced fear, extreme thirst, and delirium when consumed. The best part was that it couldn't be drained any other way; someone had to drink it, and drinking it would destroy their lives.

Once she began reading about Horcruxes it was all over. Ever since she grasped the concept of death when she was younger she always wanted to be immortal. She wanted to be around to see everything. She wanted to be a legacy that everyone knew about, so the thought of having that become a reality was something she was not going to pass up. Eventually she became so wrapped up she didn't even realize that she was the only one left in the library and that 1 entire hour had passed.

She immediately felt a strong surge of power run through her body, sort of like electricity and she never felt better. She started breathing faster; feeling her heart speed up and she couldn't help imagining what more power would feel like. Once that happened, all objects surrounding her began levitating and slightly shaking. At this point Annora could barely see anything other than her book. Suddenly Annora heard a loud 'THUMP!' and her head immediately shot up at the noise. All of the levitating objects fell making a very loud, echoing, booming noise and she noticed that the librarian was back behind the desk.

She looked around very confused as to what happened, and felt a little frightened. She had never gone that far before because she could always control herself. This time was different and she kept thinking that maybe Snape's advice had been right; and she didn't like that at all. After she got her breathing under control, she looked at the time and realized dinner was almost over. She decided that this was just a slip and that she would be fine. She packed her things and left for the common room.

Once she entered the common room she saw that Harry, Ron, George, and Fred were there among other people she didn't know yet. As soon as she was visible to them, Hermione ran over to her and began throwing questions at her about the day.

"Annora, there you are!" Hermione exclaimed. "Where were you, I've been looking for you since Potions finished."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I heard you wanted to work on our Potions essay together. Can we do that tomorrow morning? We can go to the library early." Annora said dodging the question about where she was. She was still a little shaken up about letting herself lose control that she didn't even think of a lie to tell about what happened.

"That would be great; we can spend all day there and finish all of the work we have left!" Hermione said smiling as wide as she could. Luckily she didn't press on about where Annora had gone to. Hermione simply said she was getting ready for bed and went up to their room.

Annora was going to speak with Harry, Ron, George, and Fred about how their days went but after her slip-up she was feeling pretty bad about herself and couldn't even look at them. She just walked by with her head down and went upstairs. Since it was Friday, she didn't even bother changing from her school robes; she just crashed in her bed and slept through her bad feelings. She knew she would have to deal with what happened sometime, but she was happy that tomorrow would not be that day.


	5. Hollow Consensus

Annora got through the entire weekend without Hermione asking her about where she went to on Friday. She basically spent most of the day in the library with her finishing all of their work so they could do whatever they wanted before the next school week started.  
>When they finished it was already 2:30pm on Sunday and Hermione had to talk to Professor McGonagall about something which she wouldn't tell Annora about. She guessed that was why Hermione didn't keep asking Annora about her secret; because Hermione had some of her own. Annora didn't want to push her because she knew that Hermione would tell her in her own time. Just like Annora would tell her secrets to Hermione because she knew they would be close friends for a very long time.<p>

While Hermione was gone, Annora began mindlessly walking through the castle hoping to explore every inch of it. She took a new path and somehow made it outside and she saw Hagrid's Hut. She hadn't officially met Hagrid yet, only heard Harry talk about him and watched Percy introduce him to the first years. She really wanted to meet him so she just walked to the hut and knocked on the door. As soon as she knocked, about a million different scenarios flashed through her mind that ended badly. She thought that maybe he wouldn't want to talk to her, or maybe he wouldn't let her in because he didn't like her and those possibilities made her feel terrified.  
>Suddenly the door opened and there stood Hagrid, tall as ever with a big smile on his face.<p>

"Hello Annora!" Hagrid's voice carried itself very loudly when he wanted it to. "What brings you here?"

"Hello Hagrid! We haven't really met before, how do you know my name?" Annora questioned.

"Ah, ye see Harry an' Ron told me 'bout you yesterday." Hagrid said as he invited her inside his home.

"Oh, that's surprising. I haven't gotten to talk to them much these past few days because of school work." She said reminding herself to make sure she talked to them tonight. She didn't want her first few friends to forget about her because she took school work too seriously.

"Well, you made a great first impression. They really seem to like you." Hagrid then began to make some tea for the both of them and when Fang finished sniffing Annora's shoes, even he got comfortable and close to her.

By the time they finished their tea, it was 5:30pm and Annora was getting ready to leave for dinner. She said her goodbyes to Hagrid, pet Fang a few more times, and left. On her way to the Great Hall she ran into the Weasley twins who seemed to pop out of nowhere.

"Look who it is George!" Fred exclaimed while pointing to Annora.

"We haven't talked to you-"

"In days. Where have you been?" George finished their simultaneous speaking.

"Mostly studying with Hermione; it takes up most of my time. Hey, you guys know a lot about different ways to get to different places right?" Annora asked them hoping she didn't need to give up too much information for them to help her.

"Of course we do! We spent a lot of our first year figuring out secret passageways." George said.

"Why? Where does little Annora need to get to in secret?" Fred asked smirking.

Annora began narrowing her eyes at them wondering what to say so she could leave immediately. Seeing how nosey they both were, she began to think that being friends with they might not have been the best idea. She really didn't like people prying themselves into what she did, especially if she didn't want anyone to know what she did. It wasn't that she didn't like them; she just hated having to explain herself to anyone.

"Nowhere. I was just wondering. You two seem to have quite the reputation already. How did that even happen?" Annora asked.

This caused Fred and George to begin their long story on their big adventure in their first year to earn them their reputation. They all began walking to the Great Hall while the twins continued their story and Annora felt very proud of what she could do. She always had a knack for making people forget what they originally wanted out of her. She basically just played into things they were very passionate about and kept them talking. The best part is that no one ever questioned her.

"And that huge explosion was what gave fame to our name." George finished their incredible story.

"Wow! That's really interesting!" Annora said as she quickly left them to sit with Hermione and Neville.  
>While they began to eat, Annora could see Harry and Ron were sitting across from her and began talking about Quidditch.<p>

No longer interested in their conversation, Annora found herself day-dreaming about the same thing she always dreamt of; power. She thought this was something that a lot of people dreamt of, but she desperately wanted it. She wanted to be in a world where she was in complete control over everything. She saw herself ruling, and everyone not doing anything without her knowing. Unfortunately the idea of power brought her mind back to what Snape had said to her after her first Potions lesson. She could not, for the life of her, figure out why Snape would be that thoughtful. She hated to admit it, but she knew she needed to speak to him again. She looked over to the Professors table and found Snape looking back at her. She wondered what he was thinking, but his face had no emotion at all. His eyes were empty and full of darkness. She eventually gave up trying to see through him and continued thinking about what to do.

Currently, he was the only person at Hogwarts who knew what she was up to. Or at least what she was really interested in. She believed he could be the only one to help her with how to fix things. All she wanted was the power that being evil brought, but without being evil. She knew that was selfish of her, because she had two lovely people that very much depended on her back home and she didn't want to disappoint them. She was thoughtful, but she was also very stubborn. So she decided that she wouldn't bring this up to Snape just yet. She thought that she could gain control back and do things herself. Little did she know that everyone needs help sometimes, and asking is not a sign of weakness.

Before she knew it, it was the following Thursday and it was the day of their first flying lesson with the Slytherins. A lot of people seemed to be very nervous about their first flying lesson. Neville had no idea what to expect because he had never even been near a broomstick before and Hermione was also very nervous because this was something she couldn't learn by herself. Everyone seemed to be a little bit nervous except for Malfoy who wouldn't stop talking about how well he was going to do. Annora thought there was no way he could actually be that confident without hiding something. She would never understand how people felt comfortable being around him, even if they were from Slytherin.

At three-thirty, all Gryffindors made their way outside for their flying lesson. They met up with the Slytherins and found a broomstick for everyone lying in lines on the ground. Madam Hooch, their teacher, went over to them and began their lesson. She had the entire class stand beside a broom. Neville, Hermione, and Annora all stood beside each-other while Harry and Ron stood in front of them.

"Stick your right hand over your broom," commanded Madam Hooch from the front, "and say 'Up!"'

As soon as Annora shouted 'up' her broom rose to her hand immediately. She looked over and saw that Harry and Malfoy already had their brooms in their hands too. She also noticed that there were a lot of students that had a bit of trouble getting it on their first few tries.  
>Madam Hooch began telling the students to how to mount and fly when Neville began to rise from the ground as soon she blew the whistle.<br>Annora and Hermione began shouting for Neville to come back down, but he just kept rising higher and higher.

"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, but Neville was already slipping off his broom and fell hard.  
>Annora ran with Madam Hooch to Neville who after inspection realized he had a broken wrist. Madam Hooch picked him up with both arms and turned to the entire class.<p>

"None of you move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.'"

As soon as they were gone Malfoy began laughing uncontrollably followed by all the Slytherins.  
>"Did you see his face, the fat lump?"<p>

"Shut up, Malfoy," growled Annora.

Malfoy shot her a nasty look and picked something up from the ground. "Look, it's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."  
>Malfoy held it up for the other Slytherins to see when Harry started walking towards Malfoy.<p>

"Give it here, Malfoy," said Harry.

"Actually I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?" Malfoy sneered while mounting his broom and flying off.

Harry then looked at his broom and made the quick decision to hop on to chase Malfoy. Hermione made every attempt she could to stop him from doing so, but he only ignored her. From this point no one could hear what Harry or Malfoy were saying in the air, but judging by the look on their faces, it looked to be argumentative. Annora felt proud of Harry for sticking up for Neville, but she also felt scared that he would get into trouble for breaking the rules. Then again, sometimes the rules just need to be broken.

Harry seemed like a natural, flying after Malfoy, and this was even more proven when Malfoy threw the Remembrall in the air. Harry began to dive down, gathering plenty of speed and grabbed the Remembrall just as he was about to hit the ground. At the last minute he pulled his broom straight and tumbled gently onto the grass.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Everyone turned around and saw Professor McGonagall running towards them with a furious expression on her face. She was about to begin lecturing Harry, but Annora and Ron began defending him and telling her about Malfoy, even though she wouldn't listen. She simply led Harry inside the castle leaving Malfoy and his friends thinking they got away with it. Annora and Ron thought Harry would be expelled, but she thought that if he was, she would go straight to Dumbledore and plead her case for him to stay.

Once Madam Hooch returned from bringing Neville to the Hospital Wing, she dismissed the class. Hermione went straight to the library to work on her homework, while Annora walked down to the Hospital Wing to see how Neville was doing. While turning a corner Peeves ambushed her and knocked all of her books out of her bag.

"Peeves!" Annora yelled hoping he would leave. And he did, but she kept hearing his wicked cackling all around her.

Angered, she began picking up her books when she saw two black boots in front of her, and Peeves' cackling was completely gone. Frightened, she slowly looked up to find Professor Snape smirking down at her.

"Lose your balance, did you?" He said sarcastically. Annora was beginning to find his voice tiring and frustrating.  
>Professor Snape bent down and picked up one of her dark magic books and began looking it over. Annora hurriedly put everything back in her bag and tried to grab the book from Snape's hands. She didn't want him reading it because she had a habit of writing little notes on the sidelines. He kept reading it until he loudly closed the book, and threw it back at Annora.<p>

"I see you have not taken my words of advice." He looked down at Annora, as if trying to read her. She began to fear his cold and monstrous look, but she wouldn't let him have the upper hand. They kept eye contact until Snape looked elsewhere, and walked away.

After about a minute of collecting her thoughts, Annora continued to the Hospital Wing and found Neville sleeping. She figured Neville would want to see a familiar face when he woke up so she pulled out the very book Snape had been looking at and began to read it.  
>When Neville had woken up, Madam Pomfrey studied his injury and told him he needed to stay overnight. It was now dinner time so Annora headed down there seeing as Neville would be getting his food brought to the Hospital Wing by some of the elves working there. She arrived and didn't see Hermione anywhere so she sat beside Ron and across from Harry.<p>

After Dumbledore said his few words, Harry immediately jumped into telling Ron and Annora about his trip with Professor McGonagall.

"Seeker?" Ron said. "But first years never – you must be the youngest house player in about-,"

"A century," said Harry, "Wood told me."

Annora was so proud of him. She figured how hard it must be having people think they already know you, but now he was making his own mark on the school and showing people what he could do.

"That's great Harry! Nicely done," Annora congratulated him. "Now you'll be in Hogwarts history."

"Thanks," Harry chuckled. "I start training next week, but don't tell anyone. Wood wants to keep it a secret."  
>Just then Fred and George walked towards the three students and Fred clamped a hand on Harry's shoulder, while George put both of his hands on both of Annora's shoulders.<p>

"Well done," George said with quietly. "Wood told us, we're on the team too – beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," Fred exclaimed." We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant."

"Anyways we've got to go, Lee Jordan thinks he's found a new secret passageway out of the school." Annora perked up as soon as she heard George say 'secret passageway' and smiled at him.

"Bet it's the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you" Fred said.

Annora made a mental note to visit that passageway Fred mentioned and smiled at George as he smiled back and squeezed her shoulders lightly before walking away.

After the twins left, Hermione arrived and sat beside Annora and began eating. They were exchanging pleasantries when Malfoy showed up with Crabbe and Goyle. Annora and Hermione stopped their conversation and began listening to what they were saying.

"Having a last meal, Potter?" Malfoy sneered and snickered at Harry.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground with your little friends." said Harry very calmly.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," Malfoy threatened. "Tonight, Wizard's duel, wands only – no contact."

"I'm his second, who's yours?" asked Ron.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight, all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked." After agreeing on a time, Malfoy glared at all of them, and simply walked off followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"A second person is always there to take over if you die." said Ron. "But people only die in proper duels. The most you and Malfoy will be able to do is send sparks at each other. "

"Excuse me." Ron and Harry had looked up and saw Hermione leaning over the table to talk to them.

Annora didn't know why Hermione would be prying herself into what they were doing because if anything, Malfoy deserved to have someone put him in his place.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

They both got up, left and Hermione sat back down and didn't speak a word. Annora couldn't tell if Hermione was angry or just sad that they didn't listen to her.

"They'll come around; maybe they won't end up going." Annora said trying to comfort her.

"If only, we need to do something." Hermione looked at Annora.

"What if we go with them? Try and keep them out of trouble. Malfoy is a snake; he might not even play by the rules of A Wizard's Duel. Who knows what he might do."

"You're right. But before we just go with them, we should just try to stop them. Will you help me no matter what?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, I'm with you Hermione." Annora replied. They smiled at each-other and finished eating before going up to the common room.

Hermione and Annora stayed in their room until everyone else had fallen asleep but they stayed in their school uniforms knowing they would not fall asleep for a while. They both made their way downstairs and while Hermione sat down on an armchair, Annora sat down on the floor with her legs crossed. Hermione left her wand in their room, but Annora brought hers just in case, and though she didn't want to, she was preparing herself for if she had to use it that night. They both waited for what seemed like ages until they heard some quiet footsteps travelling down the stairs.

Before those footsteps made their way to the portrait hole, Hermione sternly said, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry." She flicked the lamp on, and now we were both visible to Harry and Ron.

Harry and Ron kept looking from Annora and Hermione until Ron growled "Go back to bed!"  
>Both Hermione and Annora got up and walked towards them.<p>

"If you're set on going, we should go with you. We know a lot of spells," Annora said. "Malfoy might not even play by the rules; we don't want you getting hurt."

Harry and Ron seemed to be thinking and turned to each other with a look that said Annora was right. Especially because neither Harry nor Ron could remember how to block spells.

"Then you can come with us," whispered Harry looking around as they all heard the wind gusting outside.

As Harry and Ron both went outside the portrait hole, Annora couldn't help but smile at the thought that they both wanted her around. Annora turned around and motioned for Hermione to follow, and though she didn't seem happy, she followed them outside the common room.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells." Hermione hissed at them.

"Go away." Harry hissed back at Hermione. Annora didn't quite know what to except if Hermione wouldn't go with them. Hermione was mainly the reason Annora got the courage to confront Ron and Harry.

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -" But once Hermione turned around to the portrait, the painting was empty. Hermione was now locked out of the Gryffindor common room.

"Now what am I going to do?" Hermione asked herself quietly.

"That's your problem," said Ron. "Let's go." Ron lightly pushed Harry and Annora down the corridor and Annora looked back and gestured for Hermione to catch up to them.

She looked back again and saw Hermione was running to them. "I'm coming with you," she said.  
>Annora hoped this would happen. She was already afraid of what Malfoy would do, but with Hermione she always felt a little better.<p>

"You are not." Ron said turning around quickly.

"Do you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that Annora and I were trying to stop you, and you wouldn't listen."

"I can't believe –," said Ron loudly.

"Stop!" said Harry sharply. He motioned for all of them to go forward quietly to avoid Filch and his cat.

Fortunately for them they never ran into Filch no matter how clumsy or loud they thought they were. They made it to the third floor with no problems and ran into the trophy room, but Malfoy and Crabbe weren't in there yet. Ron and Harry stood in front of the door to wait until they arrived, and Hermione and Annora stood in the middle of the room. When it was after midnight, Annora was growing more and more nervous, so she took out her wand just in case Malfoy was planning something gruesome.

Suddenly they heard a noise in the next room, and they all prepared for Malfoy to walk in. But he didn't, instead they heard Filch's voice saying, "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

Harry, panicking, began to madly wave at the other three to follow him out of Filch's way. They ran out of the room through the other door and the second they were out, they heard Filch enter. No matter how far they quietly walked away from Filch, he seemed to always be a few steps behind them. They were going to different doors trying to get inside and away from Filch, but none of them were unlocked. They seemed to be in the clear until they turned a corner and there floating in front of them, was Peeves.

"ooOOOOoooohh!" Peeves squealed. "Who do we have here?" He loudly sang in an annoyingly sweet voice.

"Shut up Peeves, please. You'll get us thrown out." Harry pleaded.

"Move out of the way," Ron lashed out, and tried to go through him, which got Peeves very upset.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves barked, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR"

The four of them immediately ran past him to the end of the corridor where there was a lone door that was locked.

"No! That's it, we're done!" Ron wailed while they tried to open the door.

Annora began panicking but remembered that she knew a spell to open doors. She quickly pushed past everyone, took out her wand and whispered, "Alohomora!" towards the lock. The door burst open and the four ran inside and closed the door in front of them.

"I think we've lost them," Harry sighed putting his ear on the door, listening for any indication of Filch.

"I told you, Malfoy fooled you," Hermione said to Harry in between sharp breaths. "He was never going to meet you; he must've tipped Filch off about the trophy room."

Annora breathing heavily turned around to see what room they had entered; and she regretted it. She could no longer hear what anyone was saying because there, right in front of her, stood a HUGE three-headed dog that filled the entire height of the room, and it looked furious and monstrous.

She started nudging Harry's arm rapidly until all three of them turned around and saw the beast in the room. Annora grabbed the door knob and threw it open as they all sprinted outside the room and shut the door closed. At this point, Annora didn't care if Filch was going to catch them or not, she just wanted to leave. After closing the door all four of them ran and didn't stop until they reached the portrait for their common room. Harry yelled the password at the Fat Lady repeatedly until she let them in and they scrambled inside, terrified of what had happened.

"Why would they ever keep a thing like that inside?" Ron asked after a while of silence.

"You weren't looking were you?" Hermione snapped at him. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

Annora looked at Hermione wondering what she had seen. All Annora had been looking at were the three heads trying to kill them.

"I wasn't looking at its feet; I was a little busy with its heads." Harry answered.

"It was standing on a trap door. It's obviously guarding something."

Annora had no idea how Hermione saw that while being so close to death, but either way, her respect for Hermione rose. Instead of letting her fear cloud her sight, she let her fear enhance it.

"I hope you're both pleased. We could have all been killed, or worse, expelled. Now, we will be going to bed." Hermione said gesturing for Annora to follow.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow?" Annora asked Harry and Ron hoping they would include her in the discussions about what they went through. She knew Hermione and herself would be able to help figure out what the dog was guarding if they would allow them to.

"Of course," Ron yawned and smiled. After saying their goodbyes, Annora slipped into her room and found Hermione getting ready for bed. She was going to ask her how she saw the trap door, but with the other girls sleeping, she didn't want anyone waking up and hearing their conversation. Annora changed, and after saying 'Goodnight' to Hermione, tried to sleep.  
>One thing that made her smile was that today, she found out what was in the forbidden third floor corridor.<p> 


End file.
